Rugby League’s new Tackle Height framework will be in place when community game players return to action this afternoon (Saturday 2 March).
The legal limit for any contact has been lowered from shoulder height (i.e. below the neck) to arm pit height (i.e. below the shoulder) and any contact above the arm pit will therefore be penalised. Ahead of the new season, community game coaches have been attending Tackle Height education workshops, enabling them to understand the rule changes, and to adapt and improve tackling techniques among the players they work with.
Changes to the tackle height were among 44 recommendations from the sport's Brain Health and Clinical Advisory Group sub-committees approved by the RFL Board and announced in December in the latest and most wide-ranging phase of the drive to make Rugby League safer and more accessible at all levels.
The tackle height change, which applies at all levels of the community game, follows the outcomes of the Laws Trials in the Under-18 Academy competition in the summer of 2023 – trials which were found to have significantly reduced the amount of head contact and the number of head accelerations. It will apply at all levels of Rugby League from 2025.
RFL Community Coach Development Manager, Chris Spurr, says: “Change is a challenge at all levels of the sport and I’ve been impressed by the way hundreds of community club coaches have engaged with their professional club foundations in attending tackle height workshops throughout January and February.
“Coaches must focus on getting defenders to dip when making initial impact to hit under the armpit. This will make the game safer and can only add to the appeal and accessibility of the community game, with even more emphasis on technique, skill and attacking play.
“We should also acknowledge the critical role match officials will play in enforcing the new rule. They too are having to adapt and, in line with the principles of the Respect campaign, I would urge all players and supporters to respect officials, and to understand that without them we do not have a game.”
The community game season gets underway this weekend across four divisions of the National Conference League, with the North West Men’s and Yorkshire Men’s leagues kicking off just a week later on Saturday 9 March. Fixtures are available online at the RFL Match Centre.
